Free sounding-board



e. vmz'n, FREE SOUNDING BOARD.

APPUCATLON FILED FEB. 13, 1919.

1,349,700. Patented Aug. '17, 1920.

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IIIYEIITOR WITNESSES I ATTORNEYS g G. VIRZI.

FREE SOUNDING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1919.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

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I v a n I I n I H I u 0 n I I a n m l r r l I l I a p l u n l I a WITNESSES m/ MM W M m V m 6 ATTORNEYS UNITED ,STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

GIOVANNI VIBZI, OF NEW YORK!- Y., 'ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO NEW YORK N. Y.

JOSEPH VIEZI, OF

man BOUNIDING-BOARCD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1a, 1919. Serial No. 278,824.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI Vmzr, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Free Sounding-Board, of which the followin is a full, clear, andexact description The present invention relates to musical instruments and has for an object to provide an improved sounding board therefor.

In the accompanying drawings are shown illustrative embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, central sectional view of a violin with a free sounding board constructed in accordance with the present invention; V

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view showing a connecting post and the manner of connecting the same to the main and auxiliary sounding boards;

Fig. 5 is a view of a free soundlng board shown. as applied to a grand piano;

Fig. 6 is a sectiona view taken on the line 66, Fig.5; i

Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken on the line 7-7, Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrow; and

Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 8-8, Fig. 5.

The invention provides an auxiliary freesounding board for musical instruments which, together with the usual mam sounding board, produces a more'pleasing tone, as well as other advantages.

In the drawings, for the urposes of tration of the invention, t ere is shown a violin equipped with a free board constructed in accordance with this invention. The usual sounding board 1 is provided as heretofore and may be, as shown, reinforced by a central rib 2 which is found in the usual construction. The auxiliary sounding board 3 is spaced from the main sounding board and is approximately parallel thereto and sufliciently smaller to be of the frame at the edges. The relative size ofthe auxiliary board and the shape thereof 7 may be varied within considerable limits,

and it may be made flat or may conform to the shape of the principal soundin board, as desired. It is suitably connected to the mam soundlng board for support, as by spaced blocks or sound posts 5, but otherwise 1t 1s free from support by or contact with the frame or other parts of the instrument, to provide an auxiliary free sounding board.

' The second construction is a sounding board designed for a grand piano. The main sounding board 7 may be, as shown, of usual construction reinforced by ribs 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, etc., which serve to stifien the board as usual, and, also, in the construction shown serve to provide support for the aux- 1l1ary sounding board. These ribs are wide enough at certain spaced points to furnish supports 17, 18, 19, etc., for the auxiliary board which is rigidly attached. thereto at these points, but therebetween the ribs are cut away, as indicated at 20, 21.

It is to be understood that the present inposite side as indicated in the violin shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a musical instrument, the combination of a main sounding board, a plurality of ribs secured on one side of said-board, said ribs being provided with integral projections, and an auxiliary sounding board secured upon said projections and held thereby in spaced relation to the main sounding board, all portions of the auxiliary sounding board being otherwise free from the main sounding board.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination of a main sounding board, an auxiliary sounding board, securing. means between the main and the auxiliary sounding boards to hold the auxiliary sounding board in definite spaced relation to the main sounding Patented Aug. 1'7, 1920.

board, said securing means including a rib spaced ribs therebetween secured throughsecured to one of said boards throughout its out their lengths to one sounding board but length, and having at least one integral exsecured to the other sounding board only at 10 tension to which the'other sounding board is spaced points and cut away and spaced 5 attached. therefrom between such points.

3. In a musical instrument two closely adjacent and parallel sounding boards and GIOVANNI V'lRZl. 

